Connection & Disconnection

[squakhawk 14038]

Connection & Disconnection

This thread covers the full story team stance on Connection & Disconnection, and advice on how to fit it best within your lorepiece. 

Connection and Disconnection are two topics which have, in the past, been heavily controversial to both players and the ST. Thus, over the years we’ve been testing out different stances and systems, and ultimately, have come up with some interesting conclusions which now shape out standards and criteria. This thread will primarily focus on the nature of connection and disconnection, rather than the exact methods. If you came here concerned about how you are connected or your power source, please check Explanation: Power Sources for more details.

 

 

---

 

 

Connection

Connection is something which introduces you to a magic or ability. Something which spawns your journey with that lore, or even advances it. Sometimes, connection is something that is taught and not inherent. Many CAs take after this, and a couple of MAs as well. While it is nice to have a sort of ‘quality control’ when it comes to introducing new players into a lore, there is also the issues that come with it.

 

In the past there have been issues with gatekeeping and locking magics by having the connection be tightly guarded, or kept in a sort of council. This nature of the server has mostly been stopped and has been broken by Lore Injections (see Story Information: ST Oversight), and is no longer something you should quite worry about with your lore. Gated connections are no problem and are mostly at a player’s free will to write however they wish. Take into note how one can involve other people, with or without the lore, into inducting new members of a lore with their connection. Make connection a special thing, rather than a mandatory part of roleplay. Make it fun, and interesting, for a character to go through. 

 

 

---

 

 

Disconnection

 

Disconnection is a much more wary topic for The ST. Disconnection advocated by one’s self, meaning that one can disconnect at their own whim, is mostly fine. “Mostly?” you may ask, and yes, there is some small caveats. With disconnection of something more severe or tangible, such as a soul, mind, or body altering lore, try to include some form of downside with disconnection. Something temporary, and maybe even permanent effects from so- always allow for players to carry that weight of disconnection as long as they would like to. While some may only like to have an enforced week of weakness, some may live with that effect for a very long time. It can mean a lot for a player, and disconnection should always. In the case of something like a transformative magic, CA, feat, etc. where a character is severely altered physically, disconnection should be a very difficult thing to do, if not outright impossible. One should recognize the weight of decision with lore that changes a character, and keeping to that choice in perpetuity - being able to take a piece of lore which completely changes a character, and simply take it off and turn back to normal, or even in a slightly hindered state of normal, is something that kills a lot of narrative value and character development at an OOC whim. Choices made have no weight to them.

 

Disconnection can as well in some magics be brought on by other players. One player may forcefully disconnect another player from a CA, Magic, or Feat. Often times with CAs, this is paired with a Permanent Kill (PK) of a character. 

Be cautious in how you may use disconnection in lores. 

 

“Disconnection by Tenets”

Used to be a common way. Tenets are “Rules” or strictures set out by your lore (Typically, a deity setting their ground rules) which dictate if one can be disconnected or not. This lead to both “Automatic” and “Greenlight” disconnection. 

Automatic disconnection is disconnection in which breaking a tenet would instantly disconnect you from the magic- the issue being, this is impossible to track and is on an honor system for players to follow. 

Greenlight disconnection is disconnection in which one can do anything they wish and cannot be disconnected until they explicitly break tenets.

 

“Chaos Disconnection”

Is the last form of common disconnection, in which anyone for any reason could disconnect someone else. An issue with this disconnection is that obviously, one may have done nothing wrong- this often spawns a sort of mutually assured destruction when two opposing groups of the same lore have the ability to disconnect, and can cause a lot of tension both in and out of roleplay.

 

We highly recommend of all these chaos disconnection. Tenets, no matter how well worded, always lead to the Story Team having to validate if a disconnection was valid or not, and if the roleplay associated was valid. In every recorded instance of tenet based disconnection was the ST somehow called in, and is often still to this day contested and controversial. Automatic disconnection is impossible to enforce without constant upkeep and check of the lore, and thus, Chaos typically lends itself to be the best choice. 

 

Disconnection can be knowledge locked, meaning one has to be taught it in roleplay, or available to all. Disconnection which is forced can lead to consequences where it makes sense, such as a PK or other detrimental effects. Don’t be afraid to pull punches and be honest with how disconnection can effect a character temporarily or permanently. Just be cautious of how it is implemented and how easily it can get out of hand. When writing disconnection, try and prevent ways in which a single rogue actor can go out and disconnect people, unless that is within the wants of your lore’s nature. Try and make it ritual based, have a reversible period, require multiple individuals, have that person there in person, etc… 

 

---

 

 

 

If you believe you have a different system for connection and/or disconnection in your lore you want to try, feel free to write it in. Above are just the most common examples and in the past what has been performed. The ST recommend you consider scenarios in which the lore is strictly not within your hands- consider yourself out of the picture. Can the lore survive? Is there a reason for people to stick together? Whats stopping one bad actor from destroying all we worked for? Be honest with yourself, and consider what you should do with your lorepiece.